Eleanors Enchanted
by potterwoman
Summary: Ella's mother is cursed too, which causes many things to happen. Ella meets Char a different way, and falls in love with him in a different way. When Ella wishes for he curse to be taken away, it goes...
1. Unicorn Hairs

******hi, all! yes yes i know im starting ANOTHER fic while im writing one, but i was struck with inspiration yesterday so i had to write this! and this is more based on ella than my other fic, so yeah it should be much much better. anywho at the moment i dont own any characters, etc. read.********  
  
TITLE: Eleanor(s) Enchanted  
  
SUMMARY: Basically this is what would have happened if Ella's mother had been "blessed" (cursed) with obedience, too. When Mandy had told her to drink the soup, she would have been forced to, just like Ella. She would have survived, so there wouldn't be a funeral. No funeral means Ella not meeting Char...  
  
****and here we go, everyone****  
  
I woke up with a horrible cold. My head was aching and my nose was clogged. I coughed, and my chest hurt. "Ow," I whispered, not being able to speak because my throat was so sore and swelled.  
  
Mandy entered the room. "Oh, sweet," she said, placing her hand on my forehead. "A fever," she exclaimed. "Just like your mother. Well, off to her room. You can stay in her bed for now. Your father left just this morning for Jenn."  
  
I followed her order, immediately getting out of my bed and walking stiffly down the hall to my mother's luxurious room. I sat next to her on her bed, where she was writing a letter to my father.  
  
"He told me to write," she said in a raspy voice, rolling her eyes. "Of course, with this dreadful curse, I have to, don't I?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Mother," I whispered.  
  
"Oh, Ella!" Mother said. "Are you sick too?" She put her arm around me and pulled me close to her. "Come, child, cuddle up close." I did.  
  
We spent most of the day that way, writing letters to people, reading, and talking. Just sitting next to each other. Mandy came in at the end of the day with a tray.  
  
"What's this?" Mother asked, looking down at the two bowls sitting on the tray. They had wonderfully smelling carrot soup in them.  
  
"Something that will cure your illness right quick," said Mandy. It was then that I noticed the thin silver hairs floating around in the bowls.  
  
"Ew, Mandy!" I whispered. "It's got hairs in it!"  
  
"Unicorn hairs, Ella," said Mother. "What are they for?" she asked Mandy.  
  
"To cure you." Mandy place a bown in each of our laps, with a spoon. "Now eat it till it's gone and don't you dare take those hairs out," she commanded as Mother made a move to pluck the hairs from her bowl.  
  
My mother and I both made a face at the creepy looking unicorn hairs floating around in our soup, but we followed her command. I sipped my soup, then ate the vegitables at the bottom. Mother ate it with a spoon, trying to ignore the hairs.  
  
When we were done, Mandy came in and collected the empty bowls. "Good," she said, placing them on the tray. "All gone. The hairs too! You didn't have to eat those."  
  
"You told us to eat it till it was gone, and it's gone, Mandy," said Mother.  
  
Mandy laughed. "Feel better, you two?"  
  
Mother and I nodded.  
  
"Good," said Mandy. She left the room.  
  
"That was horrible," Mother said the minute Mandy was gone. "I know Mandy means well, but Unicorn hair is just wrong."  
  
"We'll feel better tomorrow, Mother," I said.  
  
And indeed we did.  
  
***************  
  
blah!!! its the first chappie. grand, isnt it. im going to post the next chapter in like... 2 seconds. after i write it, that is. hehe.  
  
golly gee whiz! i wonder what will happen? lol. have a great day, everyone!  
  
PLEASE review! 


	2. Visitors

********************yes. im baaaaaaack. hehe anywho i hope you liked chappie one. i like this story better than A Shakespear Kind of Love, personally. probably cuz this one is directly related to ella enchanted, and the other one is... too... but not as close... im just confusing myself now. anywho have a great time reading.************************  
  
The moment my mother and I got better, we had a steady stream of visitors, seeing how we were. Well, they were mostly for Mother. In fact, they were all for Mother, but she wanted me to feel "loved," so she had me with her to let the visitors fawn over.  
  
The first visitor was a large woman I had never met before. Mother had said that she had admired my father before my parents got married, and that she still did. That was the only reason she came. She was a rather large woman named Dame Olga, dragging her two ugly daughters with her.  
  
"Oh, hello, Eleanor!" she exclaimed, rushing over to Mother and embracing her in a bone clenching hug. "I hope you're well now?" And without letting Mother reply, she said, "And where is Sir Peter?"  
  
"He is off in Jenn, doing what he does best," said Mother when she could breathe.  
  
Dame Olga looked rather disappointed, but forced a smile. "Ah." There was silence for a minute, then she recognized the existance of her daughters. "Here are my two lovely daughters!" she said, pulling them over. She pointed to the larger one. "This is Olive, the younger." She pointed to the other. "This is Hattie, my pride and joy." Hattie swelled with pride and smirked at me.  
  
"How wonderful," said mother stiffly. "And this is my only daughter, Ella. She had the same illness as me, but she's well now."  
  
"She and Hattie could be best friends!" squealed Dame Olga. "Look how close in age they are! Well, I'll have to bring Hattie and Olive over more often, dearie." She gave Mother a peck on the cheek. "I have more people to call on. I hope you'll forgive me for not staying longer." She gave me a hug. "You be good, Ella," she said.  
  
"I'll forgive you," said Mother, restraining a laugh. "Goodbye." Dame Olga left the room, and she let out a long sigh. "Oh, finally. That woman only came over here to see if I was dying any time soon so she can whisk away your father."  
  
"She seemed nice," I said.  
  
"Too nice, if I do say so myself," Mother said.  
  
The next visitor was some Duke or other that I had never even heard of before. Neither had mother, apparantly, for she struggled through his brief visit. He told us he met up with Father in Jenn, and just had to meet us. He was very tall and lean, and very annoying.  
  
When he was gone, we weren't prepared for the next visitor. Betsy, one of our maids, came into the room and curtsied. "King Jerrold, ma'am," she said, then walked out. Mother immediately rose to her feet, then told me to follow her lead.  
  
The king entered with his wife. They were holding hands. My mother curtsied, and I did too. King Jerrold bade us to rise, and we did.  
  
"Your Highnesses," Mother said, smiling, "what brings you here?"  
  
"We wanted to see how you were doing," Queen Daria said.  
  
"I---I mean we---could have come to the palace," said Mother.  
  
"You just recovered from a severe illness, my dear," said King Jerrold. "We wouldn't want you to come up just to see us!"  
  
Mother blushed, the first time I ever saw her do so. "Thank you, King Jerrold." Then--- "Where is your son today?"  
  
"Char?" said king Jerrold. "Oh, he's out and about. I have no idea where he is, frankly. He doesn't even know we're here, otherwise he would have come. He's very fond of you, you know."  
  
"I know, Jerrold," said Mother. "We met at that dinner with High Chancellor Thomas. Very boring, you know," she said, making the king and queen laugh lightly.  
  
"Oh, Eleanor," said Queen Daria, "seeing you always makes us laugh." She spotted me. "And who's this young lady?" she asked.  
  
"This is my daughter Ella." Mother placed a hand on my shoulder. "She's just fifteen."  
  
"Ah," said Daria.  
  
"You must meet our son, Daniel," said Jerrold. "He's just about your age."  
  
"Fourteen, Jerrold," said Daria.  
  
"Right," said Jerrold, "and Char is.. seventeen? Yes, yes, I know. I'm only joking, Daria."  
  
"Well," said Daria, "it's been a lovely visit, Eleanor. We'll have to see you sometime soon. Be sure to drop by sometime or write us a letter!"  
  
"Of course we will," said Mother. "Good day, Your Majesties."  
  
**************  
  
review.  
  
ps. hugh dancy is HOT! 


	3. Daniel & Char

************************hey everyone (or just like... 2 of you who are actually reading this) i got a way you can make the chapters longer! you can click on text size at the top right of your screen and make it bigger and then it will be REALLY long, okay? hehe read.***********************  
  
Seeing as the king and queen commanded us to come up to the palace and meet their son, Daniel, we were forced to. The very next day, Mother and I climbed into our carriage and drove up to see them. When we entered the throne room, King Jerrold and Queen Daria were most surprised to see us.  
  
"We didn't expect you'd come this soon, dear," said Queen Daria.  
  
"But we're glad you did," added King Jerrold.  
  
"While youre here," said Daria, "you must meet my son!"  
  
"Of course," Mother replied.  
  
At that very moment, the doors burst open and a young, angry looking man burst through. He had dark, touseled hair and green eyes with a very nice tan. "Mother," he yelled across the throne room, "I have a bone to pick with you!"  
  
"Can it wait, Daniel?" asked Daria politely. "We've got company that wants to meet you." She guestered at Mother and me.  
  
Daniel calmed down at once and looked straight into my eyes. I blushed. "Good day," he said, bowing. I curtsied and extended my hand, which he kissed.  
  
"I'm Ella," I said.  
  
"Daniel," he replied.  
  
"This is her mother, Eleanor," said Jerrold.  
  
"We'll let you two get acquainted," said Daria. "Take her out in the garden, Daniel, and have a walk about."  
  
Daniel followed his mother's orders and lead me out into the wonderfully kept gardens. I was enchanted by all the scents of the roses and other such flowers. "So," he said, "how old are you?"  
  
"Fifteen," I replied. "And you are fourteen? Your mother told me."  
  
"Of course Mother would," said Daniel, rolling his eyes. "She is quite the matchmaker, you know. If we're not careful, she'll have us married by next Tuesday."  
  
I laughed at his joke. "So what were you so angry about, back there?" I asked. "Or is it too personal to ask?" I added.  
  
"No, not too personal." He sighed. "I disagreed with my brother, Char, and he told me to go talk to my mother because it was her doing."  
  
"What's this about?"  
  
Sigh. Again. "Char's going ogre hunting or something in a month and I want to go, too, but Mother won't let me. She says I'm too young." He folded his arms and pouted.  
  
What a spoiled little self-centered boy, I thought. I cleared my throat and changed the subject. "So where is your brother?" I asked.  
  
"Last I left him, he was here, in the garden. But he might be somewhere else now."  
  
Great timing, I thought as another man---he must be at least two years older---rounded the corner. This must have been Char, for Daniel spotted him and looked away, stamping his foot at the same time.  
  
"Daniel, did you speak with Mother?" he asked.  
  
Daniel said nothing.  
  
"Oh, not this," said Char. He turned to me. "Hello, I don't believe I've met you. I'm---"  
  
"Yes, I know," I said, pinching myself for interrupting a prince. "You're Prince Charmont."  
  
"Call me Char, please," he said. I followed his command "And you are....?"  
  
"Ella. Lady Eleanor is my mother," I said, as if that would explain everything.  
  
"Ah, yes. Is she here with you?" asked Char politely.  
  
"She's in the throne room, talking to your parents." I smiled warmly at him. "Your mother insisted that Daniel take me for a walk about the gardens."  
  
Char rolled his eyes and laughed. "That sounds like my mother. Are you two engaged yet?" he said, still laughing.  
  
"No," I said, laughing also.  
  
Here we were, carrying on a normal conversation while his brother sat there and ignored us. Both of us. Char offered me his arm and invited me to walk with him, giving his apologies to his brother. I accepted it and farewelled to Daniel. Char and I walked for quite some time, occassionally stopping to sit on a bench underneath an apricot tree or dangle our feet in a small stream that ran through the gardens. I had come to the palace at about eleven that morning, and here it was, evening. The sun was setting when my mother found me.  
  
"Oh, there you are, Ella," she said, and Char and I rose from our spot on a large rock. "How do you do, Char?" she curtsied. He bowed and said he was fine. "Daniel came back in and said you had gone off with Char somewhere. I thought I should come and get you before it gets too late." She beamed at the two of us.  
  
"Well, it's been great, Char," I said. I curtsied also, and he kissed my hand. I blushed more so than I had with Daniel.  
  
"I'll wait for you in the carriage," Mother called, walking away quickly.  
  
"I better follow her," I said, begining to do so, but Char caught my arm.  
  
"Please," he said, "when will I see you again?"  
  
"You may call upon me at any time," I responded. "Or you can bid me to call upon you."  
  
"All right," said Char, relaxing with a smile. "I'll see you as much as I can in the next month, my friend." I blushed again!  
  
"Goodbye, Char," I said.  
  
In the carriage on the way home, Mother announced something to me. "In light of our health, I say we take a little trip to Bast, to see my cousin Florence."  
  
"Bast?" I said. "When?"  
  
"A week. Maybe two. Does that suit you?"  
  
"It doesn't matter, Mother," I said. "If you command me to, I'll go."  
  
"And if you command me to, I'll stay," she said, causing both of us to laugh. "It is settled then." She then smiled at me wryly. "I noticed you made good friends with the prince."  
  
"Oh yes," I said, not realizing what she meant. "He's a nice fellow."  
  
My mother chuckled.  
  
***********************  
  
::insert musical notes:: char and ella sittin' in a tree! k-i-s-s-i-n-g! first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage!! tee hee im having fun. anywho i hope you liked that.  
  
REVIEW, DANGIT! haha have a nice day. 


	4. Kissy, Kissy!

****************4 IS MY LUCKY NUMBER SO THIS CHAPTER BETTER BE GOOD****************  
  
Char came calling the next day, and when I told him that we were to leave for bast within the week, he looked rather disappointed. Mother left us in the room alone while we talked. I had wormed out of her the night before that the queen had given up on setting Daniel and me up, and had set her mind to Char and me.  
  
"And you are in this plan too?" I had asked.  
  
She had nodded enthusiastically.  
  
Back to Char---  
  
"But why are you leaving?" he asked after I told him.  
  
"My mother wants to take a vacation in celebration of our health," I replied, not looking up at him.  
  
"Well," said Char, "I'll just have to come every day to see you in the next week, won't I?"  
  
"Yes, of course," I said. There was an embarrassed silence for a moment (for reasons I don't know), then we began talking all at once.  
  
"So I hope you enjoy bast," he said.  
  
"You'll be going ogre hunting, of course," I said.  
  
"Oh, not ogre hunting, ogre finding!" Char corrected me.  
  
"Well, I've never been to Bast," I said.  
  
We burst out laughing, our stomachs hurting. Two conversations at once is hard enough with three people, but two people is just horrible. We returned to normal conversation, first discussing Bast, then going onto the subject of Char's ogre hunting/finding escapade in a month's time. Again, we talked much too long, and Mother had to come in and shoo him out. This happened every day of the week. The day before I left, we discussed a much more serious matter.  
  
"My mother is trying to marry me off," said Char, right after we talked about royal balls.  
  
I laughed. "Of course she is! Is that so bad?"  
  
"She wants me to marry someone I barely know! Some---family friend or other. That's not who I want to marry!" he exclaimed.  
  
I gulped and blushed (I seemed to be doing that a lot around him). "Do you have a---a preference? Someone else on your mind?"  
  
He looked straight into my eyes and I was caught in his gaze. His gorgeous eyes, his freckles, his curly hair... I couldn't look away. I almost thought I loved him for a moment, but it was just for a moment. I couldn't be in love with him. I had barely met him that week!  
  
"Yes, I think there's someone else on my mind, but I'm not sure," he said.  
  
"May I inquire as to who?" I asked. Then I added, "As a friend?"  
  
Char glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. "I must be going, Ella. Have a safe travel," he said, then kissed my hand as he did every day. After he did so, he thought better and kissed me on the cheek. "Be sure to write me when you get there." With that, he strolled from the room.  
  
"All... All right..." I muttered, my hand still outstretched, my face burning red and heart racing. I felt my mouth slowly form the words, "I love you," then my hand fell and I fainted.  
  
*************************  
  
well it was short. but good things come in small packages, eh? WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT CHAR AND ELLA SITTIN IN A TREE??? AH? AHH!! hehe anywho i know it was... odd... not to mention weird... that was redundant.  
  
have a nice day.  
  
PLE-HEASE-HEASE REVIEW!! ::anguished sob:: IM DESPERATE!! FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE WHO DID REVIEW, 50 GOLD STARS TO YOU! AGH!!! 


	5. Fairy Book

**************lalala yes that past chapter was weird. she fainted?? what the diddly? what is my evil twin doing while im gone? haha just kidding, of course. i will explain it all. eventually. sigh. so read! why are you listening to me?? READ!************************  
  
I awoke to find my mother's face over mine. "Ella, Ella!" she exclaimed, then patted my cheek till my eyes were fully open. When they were, she helped me to sit upright and said, "What happened? Why were you on the ground?"  
  
"I---I don't know," I said quietly. "Char just kissed me and I felt ill... Woozy... and then I fainted."  
  
Mother was estatic. "He kissed you?" she exclaimed.  
  
"On the cheek," I said, getting to my feet with her help. Mandy entered the room.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked.  
  
"Ella fainted after Char kissed her!" Mother said.  
  
"On the cheek," I added.  
  
"Did he purpose?" asked Mother.  
  
"No!" I said. "I've only known him for a day!"  
  
"He kissed you?" said Mandy.  
  
"On the cheek!" I repeated.  
  
"How wonderful!" said Mandy.  
  
"He did not purpose, he didn't kiss me on the mouth, and we are not in love!" I said all at once.  
  
"Are you sure you don't love him?" asked Mother.  
  
"No!" I repeated, "I've only known him for a day!"  
  
"All right," said Mother, clutching Mandy's arm and pulling her from the room, "but I still think that you fainting after he kissed you on the cheek means something. Something important."  
  
I folded my arms and smiled. I shook my head and they exited. But I was still thinking about my reply to my mother's last question. Did I love him? I couldn't. It's only been a day, after all.  
  
Char didn't come to visit me at all the next week. I begged mother for another week to see if he would come, but she said we should be off, so we prepared for our journey. As I wondered why he hadn't come, a servant came up to me and handed me a letter. I ran to my room opened it up.  
  
Dear Ella,  
  
My father sent me on my ogre-finding trip early. I'm sorry for not notifying you, but I had no time. So I've written you this letter with my best regards, hoping you'll forgive me and still consider me your friend.  
  
I don't know how long I'll be gone, but when I return, I'll look for you. I promise. Again, please forgive me for not telling you.  
  
Your friend,  
  
Char  
  
I clutched the letter close to me. He wrote a letter just to tell me he left early! What a gentleman! I had to forgive him, of course.  
  
"What's that?" asked Mandy, coming into my room. I put the letter behind my back as I turned around.  
  
"A letter," I said simply. "From a friend," I added.  
  
She eyed me suspiciously, then said, "Here, sweet, I've got a present for you." She handed me a brown paper package and waited for me to open it.  
  
I pulled back the paper and saw a book inside. "What's this?" I asked, pulling it out.  
  
"A fairy book, full of tales for you," said Mandy. We sat down on my bed.  
  
"Thank you!" I said, and hugged it. "I'll take it with me on my trip."  
  
"I won't be going with you, you know," said Mandy.  
  
"I know," I said. "I'll miss you."  
  
"Look in the fairy book every day, and there'll be a message for you from me," she said.  
  
"What? How?" I started opening up the book.  
  
"No, no," said Mandy, placing her hand on the cover. "Not now. When you leave." I obeyed her command.  
  
And so Mother and I left in our carriage, with the fairy book and Char's letter tucked safely away in my bag.  
  
*************  
  
blah. dumb writing. my style is changing over and over again. people used to say it was like gcl's... but now................ who knows what its like!  
  
have a nice day.  
  
review, please please please. 


	6. Bonny Florence

*********okay this is going to be written in like 10 mins so forgive me if its poopy. :) oh and by the way. i would appreciate it if y'all wouldnt review about my GRAMMER OR SPELLING! i know i spell things wrong, im having a dory day (more like LIFE) so forgive me for that too. just dont tell me. tell me things that need help in the wording and plot, etc. thanks so much.********  
  
I woke up suddenly. I couldn't remember anything about my dream, just that it had to do with letters. Odd. We were still in the carriage, and I realized I had been jerked awake by a particularly large bump. Mother, who was across from me, was still asleep. Amazing.  
  
I looked at my carpet bag. It held a few precious things of mine: Char's letter, a few trinkets from my childhood, the fairy bag...  
  
The fairy bag.  
  
I pulled it out and held it on my lap. It was a heavy book, but quite pretty. I opened it to the first page. On it was a letter from Mandy.  
  
Dear Ella,  
  
This fairy book is magic, as you might have guessed. It can put things in there just randomly. You never know what is going to be on the first page. This was your mother's when she was younger, and she wanted me to give it to you. Don't tell her I told you, sweet. Tell your mother the manor is doing well.  
  
Love,  
  
Mandy.  
  
I turned the page. A painting was there. It was of a very handsome man, sitting by a fire, reading. I looked closer. I didn't recognize him at all. But the expression on his face intrigued me. It was full of wonder, excitement, love, confusion, and betrayal. All at once. I sat staring at his picture until Mother woke up, mumbling something about sheep. I snapped the book shut.  
  
We arrived in Bast safely soon after. It was a quaint little village, with people roaming the streets and greeting each other constantly. The narrow streets were lined with food stands, clothing stands, jewelry stands, and many others. As we passed them in our carriage, the people looked in, curious. I guess they had never seen a carriage like ours before. But no, that was absurd. They had to have seen a carriage like ours.  
  
"Now," said Mother, "Florence isn't as rich as you are used to. She has no title at all; mother married into a rich family, and hers to a poor. She's also very... Eccentric."  
  
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.  
  
My mother hesitated, then said, "You'll see" and took to staring out the window.  
  
On the outskirts of the village, we pulled up to a small cottage. Outside, three small children were playing. I could see a few sheep roaming in the background, and hear a cow mooing. (a/n: i LOVE cows!) When the footman helped Mother and me down, a woman came rushing out the open front door.  
  
She was about my height, and very slim. She wore large spectacles, and and faded apron. Her dress was loose on her, and her legs too small even for her tiny body. Her face was wrinkly and her mousy hair hung limply in two braids beside her face. It was hard not to stare.  
  
"Oh, Elly!" she exclaimed, rushing outside. "Oh, Elly!" She wrapped my mother in her two arms and squeezed exceptionally hard for a woman her size. "I was just waitin' and waitin' for you to come! Wait till Momma hears you're here! She's out feedin' the cows."  
  
"Thank you, Bonny," said Mother, pushing the woman away slightly. "I'm happy to see you too. Now go get your mom!"  
  
"O'course, o'course!" squealed Bonny, rushing away. "You c'n just go'n ahead inside. I'll bring Momma."  
  
As we walked to the house, the three little ones in the yard looked at us with odd expressions on their faces. I ignored them and said to Mother, "Who's she?"  
  
"That's Florence's daughter," she said. "She crashed her wagon into a tree a few years back and it ruined her mind. Those are her three children. I don't know their names, she didn't have them when I last came here. Her husband is a nice fellow, about Bonny's age."  
  
We entered the house. It was clean, but small. Mother said we should sit at the rough wooden table, and we did. She drummed her fingers nervously on it and hummed slightly until another woman, this time mother's height and weight, entered the room.  
  
She was wearing a large sun-bonnet and wiping her hands on a towel. Her face grew huge when she grinned upon seeing Mother. "Eleanor, my baby!" she said calmly. "I foresaw your coming before you sent me that letter. I'm so glad you are better. And I sense that this is Ella?" she said, guestering to me.  
  
Mother nodded.  
  
"Why, she was just small last I saw her. What a beautiful child, Eleanor." Florence came two inches away from my face and began examining me. I backed away slightly. "She is shy. I sense this, too."  
  
Mother laughed softly. "I'm sorry to leave you like this, but we've had a rough journey, and sleeping on a carriage is no feather down bed. Do you mind if we sleep for a while?"  
  
Florence nodded, and led us from the room. We came upon a room with one bed on a rickety wooden frame and old yellow pillows. "There's your bed," said Florence, pointing. "I have work to do." And she left the room.  
  
Mother and I shared a look, then slept.  
  
*************  
  
blah. i wrote more than i thought i would. well, me madre just told me to disconnect from the internet, so..... have a nice day!!  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!! ::anguished sob:: IM DESPERATE!! I NEED LOVE AND/OR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITISM AND ATTENTION!! agh.. 


	7. Marcus

**********hahahahahaha i DID put fairy bag!! omg im silly. silly silly silly. sorry for that. but i know you all knew what i was talking about, didnt you. errg adslfkjthoirtnab i feel sooo sick... too much candy at my sisters birthday party..... aghhhghghh....*********  
  
When I woke up, a wrinkly face was peering into mine. I shreiked. "What are you doing here?" I demanded at the stranger.  
  
Bonny backed away and sat at the foot of my bed happily. "I was lookin' at you. You were dreamin'."  
  
"I know I was," I said, rubbing my eyes. I had been dreaming about the man I saw in the fairy book. I noticed Mother wasn't in the bed. "Where's my mother?" I asked.  
  
"Elly?" said Bonny, bouncing on the bed. She was just like a little child. "She went out visitin' old friends, you know..." she trailed off.  
  
We sat there in silence for a moment; me staring at her, bewildered, and her staring at me, curious. Bonny started to sing some sort of village song, but a man walked in and cut her offf. He was her age, about, and also wore spectacles. His hair was very light and he had a worriied expression on his face. He took off his hat when he noticed me, and I pulled the sheets up to my chin.  
  
"Sorry," he said, bowing. "Just came to get Bonny." I nodded. "I'm Stephen, by the way," he said. "I'm her husband."  
  
"Ella," I replied. "I'm her mother's cousin's daughter."  
  
"You're Eleanor's daughter," he said, not at all surprised. "I should have guessed. You look just like her."  
  
"Thank you," I said shyly. "What time is it, by the way."  
  
"It's mid morning, near ten o' clock," Stephen said, glancing out the window.  
  
"Oh."  
  
A moment of silence, then---"Well, my brother's here, so I better be the good host and tend to him." He started backing out of the room with Bonny (who was humming again). "Goodbye." He left the room.  
  
I smiled and nodded, then climbed out of bed and got dressed slowly. By the time I left the room, the sun was high in the sky.  
  
It was odd staying in a peasant's house. I had never been in anything but a large manor. It was nice though, away from all the pestering servants (besides Mandy), the snobby society, and the stuffy air. Here, you had to work for yourself, and it felt good when you were done. No one was snobby; they were all humble and generous. The air was clear and had the scent of cotton and flowers. I inhaled as I stood in the front yard (the garden as Florence called it. it was anything but a garden; it was overrun by weeds, and there wasn't a trace of any flowers) and inhaled. I sighed.  
  
"Good day, Madam."  
  
I jumped and turned. The man standing behind me was devastatingly handsome---just like the man I saw in the fairy book! His face didn't have the same expressions on it. Rather, his only expression was curiosity.  
  
"H-hello," I said, a little shaky to actually meet him. His face had haunted my dreams, anyway. "I'm Ella, Eleanor's daughter."  
  
"I'm Marcus," he said. He had a deep voice. It was smooth, like fresh butter or Mandy's rich chocolate frosting. "Stephen's brother," he added after a moment. "You look like Eleanor," he said.  
  
I smiled warmly. "That's what everyone says. How do you know Mother?"  
  
"Oh, I met her at Stephen's wedding a long time ago," Marcus said, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Why that look on your face?" I said politely.  
  
"I was young," he said. "I thought I was in love with your mother."  
  
I laughed out loud. "What?"  
  
"Yes," said Marcus, laughing with me. "You were there, too. Your father wasn't, though. You were just little, maybe three or four years old. I was about seven, nearly eight. Your mother is very beautiful and funny, I told her I was in love with her and everyone laughed at me."  
  
I stifled my laugh. "I'm sorry!" I exclaimed.  
  
He shook his head. "Yes, everyone laughs about it. It's one of my favorite stories to tell people." His smile was warm and inviting. I looked away, thinking of Char.  
  
But Char and I weren't in love. Were we?  
  
**********  
  
odd chapter. again its like 10:30 at night and i should go to bed. ta!!  
  
have a nice day.  
  
review. 


	8. Walking With Char

************wow you all are worried about marcus and ella hooking up!! hehe i love peoples reactions!!! :) anywho~ im in love!! or in like... so im going to have a fun time with this. i like this story a lot better than my A Shakespear Kind of Love one. how about y'all?********  
  
It turned out that Marcus lived just in the heart of Bast, not very far away from Florence's house. He was there every day we were, but Stephen said that Marcus hardly ever visited any more. I didn't spend much time with him, though I attracted his frequently, and he, mine.  
  
Of course Char strayed across my thoughts often. But I had only known him for a short while, and It wasn't certain that I would ever see him again. I had no idea how long he would be on his ogre-finding trip, and I wasn't staying at Florence's cottage more than two weeks. Perhaps by the time we did see each other again, I would be married off, because that's all Florence talked about.  
  
"Ella, you are nearing marriage, I sense it," said Florence. I had no idea what she was talking about. She always said she sensed things, as if she could see into the future, which is impossible.  
  
"I'm too young, Florence," I said politely, and took a sip of my bitter tea.  
  
Ignoring my previous comment, Florence asked, "Do you have your eye on any young man, Dearie? You and Marcus would make a handsome couple."  
  
I wrinkled my nose and choked on my tea. Although he was the best-looking man I had ever met in my life (better looking than Char, I admit), I had no intention of going off and marrying him. "No, thank you," I replied. "Too close a relation," I said, because it was the only excuse I could think of. I didn't want to discuss intimate feelings and emotions towards men in front of a lady I barely knew and my mother, who was sitting there and smiling.  
  
"Ella," said Mother, leaning forward and patting my knee. "Your Mother's cousin's daughter's husband's brother is not too close a relation." She sat up straight and looked me over. "Does this mean you do have feelings for him?" she asked. Sometimes my mother can be so nosy, prying and asking in a friendly way that makes you like her and want to reply and be good friends with her.  
  
I did not answer her question. Florence asked me another.  
  
"Why don't you want to marry my Marcus?" she said, offended for some reason.  
  
"I think you really do have feelings for him," said Mother quietly. "It's either him or Prince Char."  
  
Florence looked from Mother to me, tears in her eyes. "So I sense that you would choose a prince over my Marcus? Marcus is like a son to me, so insulting him is insulting me!"  
  
"No, no!" was all I could say. Mother just kept repeating that I would end up marrying either Char or Marcus, and Florence's tears spilled over as she protested that we had insulted her entire family and we were to leave the next day. Mother paid no attention to that, either.  
  
I left the room in a flurry, too pressured between the two of them to even think clearly.  
  
I missed Char more than I thought I would. His constant optimism, his wonderful smile, the feel of his lips against my hand, his voice... I loved him. No! I couldn't. Couldn't! I barely knew him. Or did I? We were open with each other, so I knew practically everything about him.   
  
The day was beautiful, and the air sweet and fresh. I walked around the small farm and reached a grove of trees, the wind sweeping my skirts around me.  
  
"Oh, finally," I said in gratitude for the solitude. I leaned against a large oak and exhaled heavily.  
  
"What was that?" said Prince Charmont, coming around from the other side of the tree and looking magnificent.  
  
"Char!" I exclaimed, throwing my arms around him, nearing tears. I didn't realize what I had done until he said softly, "Calm down, Ella," and placed his hands on my back in a brotherly fashion.  
  
The curse tugged at me to follow his command, but I didn't want to calm down. I wanted to let all my emotions out at once, to be an empty shell like one of Dame Olga's daughters. I began feeling dizzy, and stumbled when Char pulled me down to sit against the tree with him.  
  
At last, I took a few deep breaths and calmed down. I noticed Char had his hand on my shoulder and looked up at him. "What are you doing here?" I asked.  
  
"Still on my trip," said Char in a worried tone. He was worried about me! "We're camping for the day; one of the knights I'm traveling with got wounded. I just wanted some time alone, and came out here to think." He stroked a lock of my hair absent-mindedly. "What are YOU doing here?"  
  
"Oh, my mother and her cousin got in a fight." I sighed. "Over me," I added. "I just wanted to get out and think clearly."  
  
Char smiled. "What were they fighting about?"  
  
"Who I should marry," I said, blushing. "Florence says I should marry her daughter's husband's brother, Marcus, but I don't want to marry him; I don't know him!"  
  
"Who does your mother think you should marry?" asked Char.  
  
My face grew hot.  
  
"Tell me," said Char, being friendly.  
  
"A wealthy man," I said, and left it at that. After all, Char WAS wealthy. "Florence got offended that I would choose a wealthy man over 'her Marcus,' as she puts it." I rolled my eyes and Char laughed.  
  
"And?" said Char. "Have you chosen?"  
  
"Of course not!" I said, aghast. "I'm too young for marriage, and I don't know Marcus OR the wealthy man, so I can't make a choice!"  
  
"Ah," said Char.  
  
"Are you betrothed?" I said, letting my question slip without thinking. I had thought it many times, but never had the courage to ask.  
  
Char looked at me, surprise showing on his face. He stood up, beaming. I had no idea why, he just had this huge smile on his face that lit up his huge countenance. "No, I am not," he said. "Come, walk with me." He offered me his hand, and I took it, not even bothering to fight the curse this time.  
  
********  
  
moo..? i like this chapter. its a wee bit longer, eh? and its cute!!! cuz its like marcus--no char!---haha marcus is winning---char wins! that sorta thing. but you dont know if char has won yet. you dont even know if char has won.... poo... well i have an idea for the next chapter. have a great day!  
  
REVIEW PLEASE! 


	9. Engagged

********i have nothing to say.*********  
  
Char and I walked a long time, discussing everything from the flowers to the way kingdoms were ruled, behaving like old friends, my arm linked through his, our laughs echoing the other's. When the sun was setting, Char walked me back to cottage and kissed my hand again, saying that he would see me in Frell shortly. I smiled at his back as he walked away.  
  
When I climbed the steps and entered the house, I found Mother crying. There was a lot of crying going on that day. She was sitting at the table, soaking it, it seemed.  
  
"What's wrong, Mother?" I asked.  
  
"The worst news possible," she said through her tears.  
  
"What?" I said. "Tell me!" I demanded. And of course she did.  
  
She and Florence had kept arguing. Florence wanted Mother and me packed up and in our carriage the very next morning, leaving for Frell. That was good news to me; I was waiting to go home and wait for Char. But when Mother said she was sorry and asked Florence how she could apologize for insulting her, Florence was happy. She already had an idea cooking. Mother asked her what she had in mind, and Florence said that I could marry Marcus as an apology. Mother flatout said no and said that she would rather leave for Frell and never return than force me to marry someone I didn't love. This was when disaster struck.  
  
"Well," Florence had said, "You tell Ella she wants to marry Marcus. You tell her that she is going to marry him whether she likes it or not. Make her love him. Force her to marry him if you have to, or I will."  
  
"So I'm telling you," said Mother when she was done telling what she had to tell. "You want to marry Marcus. Love him! You are going to marry him whether you like it or not. I will force you if I have to. Oh, I HATE this curse!" She elapsed into tears again.  
  
I felt an odd feeling rushing up my spine and into my chest. Into my heart. I loved Marcus. Oh, no. I couldn't love him. I loved Char. Or did I? No, I loved Marcus. "I love Marcus," I said out loud to Mother. I smiled and placed my hand on Mother's back. "Don't worry Mother, I'll be happy. I love him and I'll love being married to him."  
  
Mother looked up at me. She was still beautiful even though tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were all red and puffy. "You CAN'T love him. You DON'T, Ella. I just told you to. Do you love Marcus?"  
  
"Of course I do!" I said, appalled. "He is the most handsome, most caring, funniest person I've ever met. I will marry him."  
  
At that moment, Florence entered the room, looking pleased. "So you love Marcus, Ella?" she said softly, in her misty voice.  
  
"Yes!" I proclaimed.  
  
"No!" mother insisted.  
  
Florence looked at us both, a sly expression on her face. "I'll take Ella's word. You'll be married within the month. I sense this." And she walked from the room.  
  
Mother stopped sniveling. "I have to force you to marry him if I have to, but I don't. So don't marry him! I've fufilled my command."  
  
"I won't marry him, Mother," I said, "but I still love him."  
  
"What did you used to do when you were little to fufill your commands enough to stop the dizziness but not enough to fufill your commander's desire?  
  
I worked this out in my mind: what did I do to stop the dizziness but still not fufill the command? Like when Mandy told me to get some almonds and i only got two. "I only did part of the command by not being too specific," I said simply.  
  
"That's IT!" exclaimed Mother, rising from her chair so fast she knocked it over. "I have already told you to love him, so I followed the curse! But now I can tell you not to!"  
  
"You will do no such thing," said Florence, entering the room again. "Eleanor, don't speak to Ella anymore. Ella, don't listen to your mother if she speaks to you, is that understood?" No one moved or made a sound. "Acknowledge me!" Mother and I both nodded. "You will marry Marcus soon. VERY soon. Never mind this prince man, all right?"  
  
Char was gone from my mind.  
  
I nodded.  
  
*************  
  
i love t.k.w. :) at least i LIKE t.k.w.  
  
have a nice day.  
  
review. 


	10. Who the Devil is Charmont?

blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly.... haha beatles song. i love the beatles. AND YES I KNOW I SPELLED ENGAGED WRONG, BUT I DID IT ON PURPOSE!! it was engagged because you know... en-gagged. as in gag. gagged... you know... okay if you dont get it im not gonna explain it to you cuz then ill just get confused too and then where will we be? enjoy this chappie.  
  
I hummed softly as I was sized for a wedding dress. The tailor that was making it for me was old and wrinkled and smelly. He looked down his nose through his spectacles (a lot of people wore spectacles in Bast) and threw me odd looks once in a while.  
  
"I would appreciate it if you wouldn't hum, miss," he said.  
  
I kept humming. After all, he didn't command me to stop.  
  
"Stop," he said flat-out.  
  
I did.  
  
I wasn't depressed about not being able to converse with my mother; Florence had told me to completely forget her too. She had also told me to forget everyone i had known back in Frell. So basically, I was her slave.  
  
I had wondered whether or not Florence knew about the curse, but I was determined to know. The moment I got back from the tailor's, I went into Florence's room.  
  
"Yes, Ella?" she said dreamily. "What do you have to say?"  
  
"Why are you commanding me?" I demanded.  
  
"Because I want you to marry Marcus."  
  
"But why?" I said.  
  
"He loves you, and you love him."  
  
I knew that. I mean, I knew she made me love him. I wasn't that stupid. "Why are you commanding me, though?" I asked. I didn't want to flat-out ask if she knew about the curse. Then she would really use it against me.  
  
"Becuase you obey," said Florence. She took hand and put a letter in it. "A letter from your dear Prince Charmont."  
  
I had no idea who Charmont was. "Who?" I asked.  
  
"Charmont. The prince. Oh, that's right. I told you to forget him and you did." Florence laughed. "What with that silly curse you have, of course you would, you ninny."  
  
I took offense at this. It wasn't my fault that I had to obey everything she said. And she DID know about the curse. "How did you know about the curse?" I asked.  
  
"Child, haven't you learned?" Florence sighed heavily. "No, of course not. I could sense it, Ella. And besides, I made your mother tell me yesterday. Now go read your letter and leave me in peace."  
  
I followed her command and went into the kitchen, tearing open the envelope. Marcus came in and wanted to read it with me, but I said, "No, my love," and he left the room.  
  
Dear Ella,  
  
I have had it. I have tried to deny it and tried, but now I must confess it. I love you with all my heart. I think I have even before I met you. I know you don't return my feelings because your mother has told me you are betrothed to another, but I had to tell you.  
  
Do you love him, this other man in your life? If not, then who do you love? I can't write anymore, for my hands are shaking. I beg you, please return this letter with your answer as soon as possible.  
  
Your love always,  
  
Char  
  
What? Who was this Char? I had no idea who he was and he was in love with me! The letter told me to return the letter to him with my answer, yet I had no answer. Who WAS he? Did he have the wrong Ella? I wanted to ask my mother but she couldn't talk to me. Instead, I simply sent this back to Char:  
  
Prince Charmont,  
  
I'm sorry for the mistake, but I don't know you. You must have sent this letter to the wrong Ella. I'm sorry, but I obviously don't love you back.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Ella  
  
that was a rushed chapter and it was stupid but oh well i had like 5 minutes so here you go dont complain just REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!  
  
have a great decade! ta!!! 


	11. Escape

mmerr... ahem. schools out! woo-hoo! :) you cant imagine how happy i am. this should make you happy too cuz now ill have TONZ more time to write this story!! and i promise i will update my other one, i just like this one better. so yes. and this chapter i will try to make long(er). have fun.  
  
It was a week before the wedding. I was trying on my wedding dress so Florence could see it when my mother entered the room. She said something but I couldn't understand what it was because I had been commanded to not listen to her. After she said what she had to say, she handed Florence a letter. Florence opened it and smiled hugely.  
  
"Do you hear that, Ella?" said Florence.  
  
"No," I said. Of course I didn't.  
  
"Eleanor, tell Ella what you told me," said Florence, not realizing what she said. I gazed off into space as my mother repeated it.  
  
"Ella, pay attention to your mother! It's rude to ignore someone! Never ignore her again! Do you hear me?" Florence said.  
  
I grinned. "Oh, I hear you, Florence," I replied. What she had just said was a command; I had to listen to my mother and never ignore her again, which also meant I had to remember her. All three of these commands were countercommands for what Florence had told me earlier: not to listen to my mother and to forget her.  
  
"What did you say, Mother?" I said sweetly.  
  
"That was a letter from Prince Char," said Mother, her voice no longer muffled. I could understand it now. "He's wondering why you don't remember him. You broke his heart."  
  
Florence was beaming at this sentence, but looked a bit confused. Probably because she was too stupid to realize that she had just granted me permission to talk to my mother.  
  
"Who's Prince Char?" I asked, getting frustrated at everyone for bringing him up. "He sent me a letter professing his love for me, but I don't even know who he is!"  
  
Mother was puzzled as well. "He's the Prince of Kyrria, don't you remember?"  
  
I shook my head. Silence followed, then a knock at the front door and a voice calling, "Flowers!"  
  
Florence jumped. "Oh! The flowers for the wedding are here! I'll be back!" She left the room.  
  
"How can you not remember Char?" Mother said, kneeling before me. "He was your one true love, I'm sure of it!"  
  
I laughed lightly, a laugh that wasn't me. "How can I love someone I don't even know..? Hang on... In that letter, Char said he loved ME. Now you tell me I loved him? What's going on?"  
  
"Ah," said Mother, sighing. "Florence must have told you to forget Char, am I right?"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Well, then, I'll command you something." She took a deep breath. "Remember Char. Think of him what you thought of him before. Make it so, in your mind, nothing has changed between you and him."  
  
A rush came through my body and mind, and, suddenly, I remembered. I remembered walking with Char, meeting Char, Char kissing me, falling in love with Char... everything.  
  
"Remember him?" asked Mother. Her voice seemed to be far away, calling to me.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Good," said my mother. "Now let's get out of here."  
  
We made our escape out the back way, sneaking past Florence. Mother said we could find a carriage in the town square. If we paid it enough, it would take us back to Frell. Luckily, Florence had only taken our freedom, not everything we owned. We lugged our trunks, pulling them through narrow streets and hiding our faces, just in case someone recognized us.  
  
Finally, after what seemed like days, we reached a street packed full of carriaged. Men were walking up and down, offering people rides around the village. I had never seen anything like it before. I had no idea you could pay someone to take you across a village. I voiced this to my mother, and she told me that it was only here in Bast where that happened.  
  
At that moment, my mother stepped in a shallow hole and twisted her ankle. She cried out in pain and sat on the ground, rubbing the affected spot.  
  
"Mother!" I exclaimed, and bent down to help her. I was careful, though, because I was till in the wedding dress. "Are you all right?"  
  
My mother winced and nodded. "I'll be fine. Good thing we're right here by the carriages, isn't it?"  
  
A man with yellow hair came over and helped Mother into the carriage. A few other men grabbed our luggage and started pulling it over. I stood outside the carriage to supervise them. The driver got down to help them load it on top. One of the men lingered when everyone else was done. He tipped his hat at me and said, "That's a beautiful dress, madam."  
  
"Thank you," I said, noticing he kept his head low. His voice sounded awfully familiar. I tried to look at his face, but he turned at that minute and said to my mother, "You all right, madam?"  
  
My mother must have recognized him too, for she nodded vaguely and scoped him out.  
  
"I'll be driving then, ladies," he said, coming towards me. At that moment I knew who he was. "Marcus!" I exclaimed. I pushed him back with all my might and he fell in the mud.  
  
"Ella! YOU drive! Get up there and take the reigns!" Mother screamed. I followed her orders without even being forced to, clamoring up the carriage and not even paying attention when my dress got caught and ripped. I picked up the reigns and hit them against the horses' backs. The horses tore wildly through the streets, dodging other carriages and nearly running over multiple people. Marcus was chasing after us, yelling something, but I didn't want to listen to him; he might have been yelling for us to stop, which I would have had to.  
  
Once we were out of the village and Marcus was far behind us, I slowed down. What were we going to do now? I stopped the horses completely and climbed into the carriage. "What are we going to do?" I asked. "We just stole a carriage!"  
  
"No we didn't," said Mother, still rubbing her ankle. "I threw our bag of KJ's out the window and a man caught them. We bought the carriage."  
  
I nodded slowly. "So are we heading the right direction, Mother?"  
  
"We should be." Mother looked out the window, then leaned back and closed her eyes. "We are. Just keep driving the horses in this direction, and stop when the sun sets. I'll take over, then. I just need some sleep."  
  
I followed her command.  
  
At nightfall, we switched. I helped Mother get up with her twisted ankle, then settled back in the carriage to sleep. But sleep wouldn't come. I needed the fairy book. I had managed to get my carpetbag INSIDE the carriage, and opened it. The fairy book was right on top. I turned it to the first page. It was a picture of Char, sitting by a fire. He was leaning back in his chair, a saddened expression on his face. I couldn't bear it anymore. I turned the page and found a journal entry from him.  
  
Ella! How COULD she? After all we have done together, she denies ever knowing me! This offends me deeply. I sent her a letter proclaiming my love for her, and she sends one back, saying she doesn't know me. And what's worse? My brother sent her a letter back saying she had broken my heart and signing it with MY name! This is horrible. How could I ever trust her? How could I ever think that I could fall in love with her after so little time?  
  
I couldn't read anymore. It was too much of a pain to my heart. It wasn't my fault I told him I didn't know him! It was the curse's, it was Florence's. What was I to do if I ever saw him back in Frell??  
  
oooooooooo she escaped marcus and florence!! woo-hoo!!! but... she broke char's heart. awwww... :( thats not just a frowny face. that's a depressed, bawling-my-eyes-out, crushed-heart face!!!!!  
  
hehe im sooo hyper at the moment. you must forgive me. anywho. have a great day.  
  
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!! constructive criticism is greatly appreciated, but dont give me your opinion on the story if its bad, please.  
  
for example:  
  
GOOD REVIEWS:  
  
wow! this story is good! but i would recommend one thing. you should try using a bigger variety of words.  
  
i think that you should follow the book more closely. ella's character isn't at all like it was in the book. but it's good, anyway!  
  
BAD REVIEWS:  
  
this story is so dumb i cant believe i even read this far. it all sucks. you suck!! i hate your stories, etc!!  
  
ehhh... the plot is weak. very weak. try harder. i don't like this story at all.  
  
so yes you get the picture, k? i love you all! 


	12. Depressed

okay. wow. i am sooo bored. i wrote a story at fanpress.com two weeks ago and that got like 3 reviews. it made me really sad!!! :( oh welllllll... ill just work on this one. and when this is done, ill work on my a shakespear kind of love one and then... ill start another one. hmmm okay you can read now.  
  
We arrived in Frell sometime later, both starving and ready for a bath and a warm bed. I dragged my feet into the house while some servants rushed out to the carriage and pulled our luggage into the house. Both Mother and I headed upstairs, ordering food to be made and brought up to us.  
  
I slept a long time, waking up just long enough to eat the meal that was brought to me. Mother slept a few hours, then woke up and sent some soldiers to arrest Florence for holding us at her house against our will. When I woke up, it was the next day. I groggily got dressed and headed downstairs for some breakfast in the kitchen.  
  
"Sweet!" exclaimed Mandy, setting her ladel down and wrapping me in a hug. "Oh, I heard about what happened! That's horrible. I never did like Florence. I only met her and her daughter once, but it was a horrible meeting."  
  
"Oh, so was mine," I muttered. I sat down at the table. She set a plate of toast and potatoes in front of me.  
  
"I also heard about Char," said Mandy, continuing on.  
  
I sighed heavily and held back tears.  
  
"Do you love him, Ella?" Mandy asked seriously. She sat down across from me and watched me attempt to eat.  
  
I set down my fork and let the tears come. "Yes, Mandy, I do!" I began sobbing uncontrollably. My mother entered the room and helped Mandy comfort me as I said, "But he wants nothing to do with me now, and I can never see him again!"  
  
"Don't cry, Ella," Mother said, not thinking. I, of course, stopped.  
  
"What am I to do?" I asked, wiping my face on a handkercheif that Mandy handed me.  
  
"You should send him a letter, of course," Mother suggested.  
  
"And say what?" I demanded.  
  
"Say you didn't write the letter," Mandy said brightly. "Say you're very sorry for what happened and that you return his feelings!"  
  
I stopped chewing, nearly choking, and stared at her. "Are you mad?" I exclaimed. "I could never do that!"  
  
"And why not?" Mother and Mandy said at the same time.  
  
"Because..." I trailed off, looking for a reason. I finally found one that was good to tell my mother and bad to think about. "Because what would happen if I were royalty?"  
  
Mother and Mandy were silent for a moment. Then it hit Mother. "People would use your curse against you! Maybe to run away from Char or to let them into the royalty or... commit a horrible crime." She shut her eyes and put her arm around my shoulder. "I understand now, Ella. You can't marry Char."  
  
I burst out crying again. I had stopped crying like Mother had said, so now I could cry all I want. Mandy and Mother both understood why I was crying, so they didn't tell me to stop. I just cried and cried until I was weak. I couldn't marry Char! I could never be friends with Char now! I had to stay away from him at all costs, and never speak to him! That was the worst thing that had ever happened to me. Maybe I was better off with Marcus.  
  
"I know!" said Mandy after a while of sitting in silence. "Why don't you send him a letter saying you love him but you can't marry him?"  
  
"Then what?" Mother replied. "He would want to know why, and we can't explain!"  
  
"I could make something up!" I said, getting excited. "That way we can still be friends and I can still talk to him!"  
  
"...And be simply in love with him for the rest of your life," finished Mother.  
  
"That's all right!" I said, standing up. "I'll go write him a letter right now!" I did so, rushing up to my room and getting out my stationary.  
  
Dear Char,  
  
My apologies for the previous letter you received. Fortunately, I didn't write it. My mother's cousin did. I have something to confess to you, too. I love you with all my heart. Unfortunately, I cannot be wed any time soon. My reasons are personal. I hope that we can still be friends. Please write back.  
  
Ella  
  
man, that chapter was weird, dude. it was short, too. i wrote it in 40 minutes. eeeek well please please please please please review. i need more reviews. it motivates me to write faster and write longer!! :) so its for your benefit and mine! ta!!  
  
have a great day. 


	13. Gasp

so yeah. havent written in a while. my apologies. yes. yes. yes. but here you go. heres a taste for you. maybe it will be longer, maybe not. i dont know. how SHOULD i know? have a good reading  
  
A few hours after I sent the letter, I pulled out the fairy book and took a look inside. What I saw both shocked me and saddened me. It was a picture of Char reading a letter. His face looked sad. Was it because I couldn't marry him? No, it was another reason, one that I found out when I turned the page.  
  
Dear Jerrold,  
  
I trust you are doing well. I do have many daughters, three of which are not married. All of them would be delighted to marry a prince, of course. I spoke with them, and have chosen my daughter Areida as the best fit for your wishes. She is only a few years younger than Charmont, and would do well in royalty.  
  
The letter wen on, talking about the business of the man's inn in Ayortha, then he signed his name. I was curious to find out what was going on here. Was Char being set up with another girl? I was about to find out. I turned the page.  
  
Dear Char,  
  
As I was traveling home from Ayortha, I stayed at an inn. It was a comfy inn, and the owners were friendly. When I received your letter about wanting a wife, I took this matter into my own hands. I have written the owner about his many daughters, and he should be replying by the time I arrive at the castle. If all goes well, you will have a wife within the month.  
  
Love,  
  
Father  
  
So, Char wanted a wife? He knew he couldn't have me, so he went ahead and told his father to find him a wife? How horrible was that? I couldn't marry him anyway, but having him marry someone else was enough to break my heart all over again. I had to get my mind off of it. I had to get away and think about something else.  
  
I ran downstairs with tears in my eyes--passing Mother, who said, "What's wrong, Ella?"--and stormed out the door. I ran to the castle where the grove of candle trees was. This grove of trees had been said to grant wishes if the wisher had faith enough in them.  
  
I stood beneath a particularly big one and gazed up at it. "Please," I whispered. "Please don't let Char marry someone else. Let him never get marry anyone else. Let my curse go away so I can marry him." As I said this, a tear escaped my eye and I collapsed, leaning against the tree and sobbing. Eventually, I fell asleep.  
  
When I woke up, a man was standing over me. I squinted at him, then let out a gasp. "CHAR!" I squealed. He bent over and helped me up. "What are you doing here?" I demanded.  
  
"I came to make a wish," he said. "I got your letter."  
  
"I know," I said, staring at the ground. "I'm sorry."  
  
He said nothing, but stared at me. After a moment, I looked up at him and gazed even more. "You look ill," he said. "Sit down."  
  
"I'm not ill," I said, still standing. "I'm fine. I just haven't had enough sleep."  
  
"Then go to sleep!" he exclaimed, obviously caring about my well-being.  
  
"I can't!" I replied. "I just feel horrible about... About my letter."  
  
"Why can't you marry me, Ella?" he asked sadly. His face was long, and looking depressed. But he was still very handsome. "Tell me."  
  
"No," I said calmly. Then my anger against the curse rose up and I said, "It doesn't matter anyway, you're getting married to another girl!"  
  
"How did you---" He began to say, but I ran off, tears streaming down my face. "Ella!" he called. "Ella, come back!"  
  
I kept running, and finally arrived at my house, out of breath. It was then that I realized I had disobeyed every command he had issued.  
  
la. review. have a nice day. 


	14. Fairy Godmother

okay i understand a lot of you had a lot of questions. one of you said that the candle trees didnt work in the book. actually, they did. ella said, "please make mom better" (or something to that effect) and then she said "i never bet one mother losing her life..." blah blah blah. but her mother DID get better. she wasnt sick anymore, was she? of course, you COULD argue with that. but please dont. the point is, that in my story, the part where ella wished for her madre to get better didnt happen cuz they both DID get better. so you didnt even know about the candle trees until ella wished for her curse to be taken away. so yeah. have a good time reading.  
  
I ran into the kitchen. "Mandy!" I screamed. "Mandy" She looked up from her cooking with a puzzled look on her face.  
  
"What is it, sweet?" she asked. "Your mother said you ran out of the house, crying. What happened? Are you all right?"  
  
"Char's getting married to another girl that he doesn't even know," I said quickly. "But that's not the point."  
  
"Not the point?" exclaimed Mandy. "I thought that Char was always the point!"  
  
I glared slightly at her and said, "I just ran into him in the candle grove. He was about to make a wish." Mandy looked like she was about to say something, but I cut her off. "I broke the curse, Mandy!"  
  
Mandy's jaw dropped and she was silent for a moment. She seemed to be sorting out thoughts in her head. I was doing the same. If my curse was broken, I could go back to Char and marry him! I wouldn't have to run away from him or anything! I was prepared to run out of the kitchen that moment, but I waited. Soon enough, Mother entered the room.  
  
"What is this, a staring contest?" she said, seeing Mandy and me, staring at each other. "Ella, what's the matter? I saw you crying."  
  
"Char's engaged to someone else," I said simply, still in deep thought. As for Mandy, her jaw was still dropped and her eyes were still concentrated. Even through all this, she still managed to say, "Ella broke the curse."  
  
My mother's reaction was the same as Mandy's. She, too, was silent.  
  
"Will somebody say something, please?" I said softly.  
  
"How did you do it, Sweet?" asked Mandy.  
  
"I went into the candle grove, wished that the curse would go away, and then I fell asleep. When I woke up, Char was there. He ordered me some, but I didn't follow any of them!" I explained.  
  
"It can do that?" asked Mother.  
  
"I guess so," I said.  
  
"No," said Mandy. "It's not permanent. You'll get the curse back eventually, sweet."  
  
I almost started crying at that sentence. "How do YOU know? It's not going to come back! I made it go away." I collapsed into the arms of Mandy and my Mother.  
  
Mandy said, "Perhaps you're right, sweet. Nothing like this has ever happened with one of Lucinda's curses before."  
  
My head snapped up. "How would you know about curses and Lucinda and anything like that? AND..." I gasped. "What about that fairy book? How does it work? Mandy, what's going on?"  
  
Mandy and my mother shared a look. Both started talking, then ceased.  
  
"Well--"  
  
"You see--"  
  
"It happened when--"  
  
"I think it--"  
  
They both went back to being silent again. I looked from my mother to Mandy. "Are you a fairy, Mandy?" I said suddenly, drying my tears.  
  
More silence, cut-off sentences, and shared looks occured before Mandy finally said, "Yes, Ella. I'm your fairy godmother."  
  
Now it was my turn to sit and gape at the pair of them. "Is this true, Mother?" I asked after a full minute of silence.  
  
"Yes, Ella, it is."  
  
"So..." I said, sorting more things out in my mind. "So, you could create magic?"  
  
"Only small magic. I don't believe in large magic like the kind Lucinda uses." said Mandy.  
  
"Why?" I said, beginning to feel frustrated. Couldn't Mandy use magic to find out if my curse will stay away or to make it go away for good? And what about Mother's curse? What could SHE do?  
  
"Because, big magic could cause big problems, like yours and your mother's curse," said Mandy. "But your curse can still be taken away."  
  
"It's already BEEN taken away," I said. A thought struck me. "Mother, can't you go into the candle grove and get yours taken away?"  
  
"Not until we know for sure if yours is away for good," said Mother. I felt even more frustrated.  
  
I stood up, ready to go to my room and look in the fairy book for any sign that Char was thinking of me. "I think my curse is gone. And I'm going to marry Char. I will, no matter what." With that, I ran away from them.  
  
sssstrange chapter, i know. you all think im wandering around with this plot, but nay, i am not. youll see, youll see. i have a brilliant plan in mind. BRILLIANT, I SAY!! mua-a-a-a-a-a!!!! :)  
  
review, please please please.  
  
have a great decade. 


	15. In and Out of Love

wow cool little line thingy if you can see it. ahem. anyway. i admit it, everyone (all 5 of you).... this story is beginning to bore me. why else would it take me a month and a half DURING MY SUMMER BREAK to update??!?! anywho, ill try to make it more interesting and not wander around with the plot, and then ill get to my other story and then ill get to my claidi journal story, and then ill maybe get to my edward scissorhands story.... i dont know... well i hope you all enjoyed your vacation from eleanors enchanted. lol have a good reading  
  
I ran to my fairy book and opened it up almost immediately. Char had written in the small amount of time between when I saw him, and when I opened the fairy book.  
  
Ella confuses me. I saw her at the grove of candle trees just now, and she ran away. She says she loves me, but she can't marry me. I wonder why. It hurts to know that we still can never be friends, but I shall learn to love my new wife in time.  
  
After that, he described a letter he had received from Areida, and found her to be nice enough. Nice enough? Nice enough wasn't going to get him to fall in love with her! I wanted to find this Areida and strangle her. It was a horrible thought, but who was she to marry a prince she barely knew? And MY prince, at that.  
He wasn't my prince. He wasn't my prince! I was the one that had denied, him, not he, me, so why was I making this a big deal?  
The moment I thought that, my mother entered the room and sat on my bed, next to me. "Will you be all right, Ella?" she asked.  
I looked sadly at her for a moment, then said, "Were you ever in love before you met Father?" I asked her.  
She thought for a moment, then said, "Yes, I was."  
"What happened?" I asked. Maybe asking her these questions would make me feel better, I though. "Why didn't you marry him?"  
"Well," said Mother, as if she was on the edge of a long story, "he was a servant in my grandparents' household, and my parents forbade our being together because of that." She sighed. "He married my handmaiden, and I married your father."  
"Weren't you heartbroken?" I asked. I was.  
"Yes, of course I was!" exclaimed Mother. "But I had to accept the fact that we couldn't be together and move on," she said.  
"Are you happy with Father?" I asked.  
She smiled at me, then said: "Well, to tell you the truth, I do get lonely while he's traveling---this one is horribly long---but I do love him and I am happy."  
I thought about what she said. So could I be happy with anyone other than Char? I asked her this, and she replied. "Of course you could. You just have to give yourself a chance."  
"What kind of chance?" I was learning so much about love and heartbreaks, I didn't know what to do. I was glad my mother was here to help me, and to tell me what to do. Mandy wouldn't have helped much. I don't think she has ever been in love.  
"Don't follow him around," she said as she smiled and nudged me. "Let other men court you. Try not to think of him so much."  
"What shall I think of when he comes up in my mind?" I questioned.  
"Anything else, Ella," said Mother. "Think of a handsome boy you might meet on the street, or a place you want to travel to, or a dress you want me to buy for you."  
I resolved to begin doing this the next morning.  
  
I laughed. It was the first time in a while, and it felt good. I had started to take Mother's advice, and was being courted by a young man my mother knew. His name was Anthony, and he was humorous. He was tall, with black curly hair and dark eyes. He had a good posture and was very intelligent. I don't know why I never spoke to him before.  
  
abrubt ending, i know, but i have to go. i hope you enjoyed it.  
have a great day and please review.  
me. 


	16. Two Proposals, Same place

rtf1ansiansicpg1251deff0deflang1049fonttblf0fnilfcharset0 Courier New  
generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1503;viewkind4uc1pardlang1033f0fs20 --------------mmmerrr my birthday was a while ago, just to let you all know. :) and im in like 1096082 plays right now and i have a ton of homework, so no time! but its sunday, so no school! that means i have time!!! yeah. so the last chapter was really weird. but this one will be COOL!! it will leave you chewing on your perfectly manicured fingernails and going, 'OH!' hehe enjoy------par par tab Sir Anthony courted me for quite some time. Nearly two months, it seemed. I had never been courted before, so it seemed like a long time to me. Slowly, my heart was healing from the pain that was Char. I hardly ever heard his name; my mother and Mandy made it a habit to keep him out of conversation to save me.par tab Anthony was quite a charmer. He would surprise me with a boquet of flowers from his garden, or a dinner that he cooked himself, or a pair of horses to ride through the country on. He knew all the right things to say and do, and was very sensitive. When I would be particularly sad about Char, he would sense my sadness and put his arm around me, offering words of comfort. Slowly, I found myself falling in love with him, but couldn't cut out that piece of my heart that would always belong to Char. I didn't know what to do, but I didn't want to tell my Mother that, so I just put on a happy face and clung tightly to Anthony's arm.par tab "Darling." I heard a voice calling outside. I glanced over to the open window and saw Anthony standing there, grinning at me. I had been reading in the study, and had opened the window for some fresh air. I couldn't help but smiling.par tab "Anthony! What are you doing here?" I said, rushing to the window and opening it more.par tab He took my hand and kissed it gently. I blushed and smiled even more. "Come with me," he said quietly, staring into my eyes. His gaze was strong, and I felt drawn to him. "Let's go for a walk."par tab I looked around and then nodded.par par Ten minutes later, he and I were strolling arm in arm in the marketplace, waving to people we knew and nodding at people we didn't know.par tab "So, what's the occasion, Anthony?" I asked. "You never call on me like that?"par tab Anthony looked around him and inhaled deeply. "It was just a beautiful day outside, so I thought we might enjoy it together."par tab "Oh," I said softly, but I noticed the suspicious note in his voice.par tab We kept walking, saying very little to each other. Casually, Anthony gestured to the candle grove. "Let's go over there. I love that place."par tab "All right," I said. We smiled at each other, and he took my hand to lead me there. When we entered the grove, my heart was beating fast and hard, and I felt my face getting hot. Anthony would look back at me and smile once in a while, and I would look down, smiling uncontrollably. We stopped under a particularly large tree and he turned around to face me. He opened his mouth to speak, but someone else's voice stopped him.par tab "My father suggested I make this, erm, official, if you will."par tab Anthony and I looked at each other questioningly.par tab "Official? What do you mean?"par tab The first voice was male, and the second was female, with a slight accent. I was fearing the worst.par tab "Ahem, well..." There was a rustling sound, and a gasp. "Will you marry me?"par tab The female was laughing. "Oh, that's what you meant by official. I wasn't sure what you were talking about."par tab My heart was beating faster, and I could feel beads of sweat breaking out on my forehead.par tab "So... Will you?"par tab "Of course I will--"par tab The last word sealed my death sentence.par tab "--Char."par tab I bit my lip and tried to stop the tears from coming. It didn't do much good, though, because my face was soon wet with tears. Sure enough, Anthony put his arm around me and said, "Dearest, what's the matter?"par tab I shook my head and said, "That's just so sweet!" I lied.par tab "What good timing," Anthony said. Just then, I noticed that the other voices had stopped talking to listen to us, probably. Anthony got down on one knee and took my hand in his. He pulled a ring out of his pocket and held it up so the light bounced off at every angle. "Would you marry ME?" he asked.par tab Yes, what good timing it was. There I was, standing on one side of a tree with a man who was in love with me and asking me to marry him, while on the other side, the man I used to be in love with was proposing to the girl he was supposedly in love with. What timing. Yes, I did love Anthony. But somehow, I still loved Char. Even more so, with this odd occurence. I knew I could never have Char, so what could I do?par tab "Yes, Anthony, I will," I said, crying harder. I threw my arms around him, maybe for my own comfort, and he returned my embrace.par tab "I love you, Ella," he said, almost too loud. I stayed there in his arms for a moment, then, "Oh! You're highness, I had no idea that was you over there."par tab I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes tightly, wiped my tears, then turned around slowly and forced a smile. Char looked handsome. His fiance was beautiful. She smiled and nodded at me in such a friendly way. If it was under different circumstances, I thought we could have been friends. But considering the fact that she was going to marry the man I was in love with, I couldn't be friends with her.par tab "So you just got engaged, Prince Charmont?" asked Anthony.par tab "Oh, please, call me Char," Char said, his eyes lingering on me for a moment. "And you are..?"par tab "Sir Anthony, and this is my fiance of a moment, Ella."par tab "Well, pleased to meet you, Anthony, but I already know Ella."par par ---------------par the endpar hahaha just kiddingpar hope you liked that chapter! REVIEW, PLEASE!!par have a great day.par 


	17. Introductions

--------im depressed, i admit it. i apologize about what happened with chapter sixteen of doom. i have no idea why it said par tab and stuff. thats just weird. anywho. this site is also making me depressed cuz there are so many people who are writing stuff that has nothing to do with ella enchanted. its just weird. sigh. well heres chapter 17 i hope you like it.----------  
  
"Oh," Anthony said nicely. "How do you know Ella?" The tone in his voice and the look on his face told me that he suspected a past relationship between Char and I.  
Char and I shared a knowing look, and his fiance caught it. Anthony didn't, and I was thankful for that. Char cleared his throat and looked at the ground for a moment, then back to me. I gave a slight shrug, and Char looked back to Anthony. "We WERE friends," he said, fake happiness filling his voice.  
"Oh," Anthony said again. I could tell that he was aching to know why we WERE friends, but out of his politeness he didn't ask.  
No one said anything for a moment, then Char remembered his manners. "This is Areida," he said, gesturing to his fiance. She smiled and nodded at me, but there was a sliver of bitterness in her face that made me realize---she loved Char! It wasn't just arranged, she loved him! I had no idea if he loved her back or not, but she certainly had fallen in love with him in the past while.  
"Hello, Areida," I said, mispronouncing her name and curtsying clumsily. Both, I admit, were on accident. "It's lovely to meet you." Lovely? Lovely?! I never used that word. Or, if I did, it was under extreme circumstances like this. I think Char noticed that but I'm not sure.  
She clenched her jaw momentarily, then curtsied back. Her curtsy, I noticed, was much nicer than mine. "Yes, it's nice to meet you too."  
More silence and clearings of the throat. "Well, Ella and I are off to visit my father," said Anthony, offering me his arm. I took it, and he began to lead me away. "It was nice meeting you."  
Char and Areida called goodbye to us. We walked away quietly, and when we got out of the grove I realized I had been holding my breath. I let it out slowly. "That was uncomfortable," I said, smiling to my fiance. "Thank you for getting us out of that."  
"You're welcome, my love," said Anthony. I felt a twinge of guilt hearing "my love," but I pushed it aside. Char was now permanently someone else's, no matter if I had the curse or not. "Now," continued Anthony, "you have to explain how you and Char know each other."  
"We were in love," I said. No point avoiding the subject. If I was honest with him, he wouldn't get angry. "But not anymore. It wouldn't work. And now I'm in love with you," I said, patting his arm affectionately.  
"Oh," was all Anthony said. He seemed to be saying that a lot lately. He smiled and kissed my forehead, then took my hands and said, "Ella, I have to tell my father you've accepted my hand. I'll see you tonight, is that all right?"  
"Of course," I said. I noticed we were at the gate to my house, and curtsied wobbily to him as he walked away, holding onto the gate for support. It wasn't just my clumsiness that had me wobbily. I walked into the house, my whole body shaking, and went into the kitchen. It smelled wonderfully of Mandy's cooking. She was standing over a steaming pot, but when I came in she turned around.  
"And just where have you been?" demanded Mandy.  
"With Anthony," I said, sitting in a chair.  
"Doing what?"  
"Getting engaged and seeing Char propose," I said.  
"Oh," said Mandy. It took her a moment to register what I said. When she did, she let out a squeal of delight and pulled me out of my chair to hug me. "You're engaged to Anthony?" she exclaimed. "Oh, that is so wonderful! And what of Char? Who did he propose to?"  
"Areida is her name, and she's wonderful. I hate her." I sat back down in my chair.  
it was short but i only had like 3 minutes to write it. okay i have to go now.  
bye.  
review please have a great day. 


	18. I'M SORRY

--------i hearby deem this fanfiction dead. theres nowhere to go but down. no ones reviewing (cuz im not writing), i dont have interest (i admit it), and this story doesnt follow the trend anyway. the trend seems to be daria and jerrold. i tried to write this chapter, but i just couldnt do it. even though i know where this story is going, i didnt know what to write. i couldnt do it. so, i apologize to all 3 of you faithful readers. this fanfiction is hereby discontinued.-------- 


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